นิทรรศการภายในศูนย์ประวัติศาสตร์ฯ

นิทรรศการภายในศูนย์ประวัติศาสตร์ฯ

นิทรรศการภายในศูนย์ประวัติศาสตร์ฯ

Ayutthaya Historical Study Center

Ayutthaya Historical Study Center was established from the cooperation of Thai and Japanese technical experts in 1986. Due to the fact that Ayutthaya was not only a capital of Thailand for 417 years and laid the foundations of Thai culture to the new era, it was also the trade center of Southeast Asia. In the same words, we may not really understand Thailand and Southeast Asian region if we do not know Ayutthaya society in history.

The intention of Thai and Japanese technical experts according to the Thai – Japanese Society and Phranakhon si Ayutthaya province was to renovate the area in Ayutthaya that was once the Japanese village in Ayutthaya period, and built a museum at the village. On the contrary, Ayutthaya Historical Study Center was built instead of building a museum. According to the agreement, the Japanese government allocated a budget of 999 million yens (about 170 million baht at that time) to build the Center on the occasion of 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol’s birthday in 1987, and for the memory of 600th anniversary of good relationship between Thailand and Japan.

The Displays inside Ayutthaya Historical Study Center
The purposes of establishing Ayutthaya Historical Study Center are as follows:

1. It acts as a national research institute on Ayutthaya study, emphasizing Thai history in Ayutthaya period.
2. Additionally, it is a national museum that people can visit and do research about Ayutthaya history, accompanying with displays concerning Ayutthaya when it was a capital.
3. The center houses a museum and provides a range of information alongside a well-stocked library covering all aspects of the city’s history.

The center’s building was divided into 2 parts:

The first part is situated in the city island next to Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University.
The second one is situated at the place that was once the Japanese village in Ayutthaya period, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River in south of Wat Phanan Choeng.
The center gives wide range of services, for example, the permanent displays comprising maps, models of interesting places and Thai ways of life in Ayutthaya period with lights, sounds and moving pictures for better understanding.
The displays comprise 5 viewpoints involving Krung Si Ayutthaya:

1. Ayutthaya as a capital
2. Ayutthaya as a port
3. Ayutthaya as the center of political power and governance
4. Ayutthaya people’s ways of life
5. The relationship between Ayutthaya and foreign countries

Among a lot of displays, there are some remarkable ones that should be mentioned:

1. The painting in oil colors showing Ayutthaya city plan from the Dutch traders’ sight in AD 1700 or around BE 2200.
2. A model of the Ancient Palace, Wat Chai Wattanaram and the Elephant Kraal.
3. Models of boats in Ayutthaya period, such as Ayutthaya and Chinese junks (built the same as ones showed in a Japanese painting), Spanish and Portuguese scar rat boats and Hollanda (Holland’s) boat called galleon.
4. A map shows the trade routes in the sea with many countries in Ayutthaya period.
5. A model of the area inside Wihan Phra Sri Sanphet, a very important temple in Ayutthaya time and the place that a ritual called “Phitee Karn Theu-nam Pipatsattaya (drinking the water allegiance to the King) was held.
6. Models of Thai village in Ayutthaya period, decorations inside a Thai house and people’s important activities ranging from birth to death are also displayed.

Reference
Kasetsiri, Chanwit, editor. (n.d.). Discovering Ayutthaya. pp. 122-124.